Ironers and Pressers

ANZSCO ID 811513

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
900
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
32%
Female Share
74%
Average age
51

Summary

Ironers or Pressers iron or press garments and other fabrics, such as delicate and formal wear, in a commercial laundry or private residence.

Tasks

  • Smoothes articles and guides them through cleaning and pressing machines.

  • Stops and starts machines to untangle, straighten and remove articles.

  • Makes minor repairs.

  • Irons and presses clean articles.

  • Places articles on shelves and hangs articles for delivery and collection.

  • Packages articles and prepares orders for dispatch.

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Laundry Workers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 32% of people employed as Ironers and Pressers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 34 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Other Services
67.2%
2
Manufacturing
7.4%
3
Administrative and Support Services
5.0%
4
Health Care and Social Assistance
2.2%
5
Other industries
7.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

31.0% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

27.7% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

11.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.3% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Ironers and Pressers All Jobs Average
NSW 31.0 31.6
VIC 27.7 25.6
QLD 21.0 20.0
SA 6.3 7.0
WA 11.2 10.8
TAS 1.3 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 1.4 1.9


  • Around 69% of Ironers and Pressers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    The region with the largest share of workers is Melbourne - South East.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
51
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
74%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Ironers and Pressers is 51 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 74% of the workforce. This is 26 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Ironers and Pressers All Jobs Average
15-19 2.2 5.0
20-24 4.4 9.3
25-34 9.3 22.9
35-44 17.0 22.0
45-54 26.6 21.6
55-59 17.0 9.0
60-64 13.2 6.0
65 and Over 10.4 4.2
Median Age 51 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as an Ironer or Presser.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Property Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Ironers and Pressers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 9.0 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 7.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 10.9 21.1
Year 12 25.3 18.1
Year 11 7.9 4.8
Year 10 and below 37.9 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Laundry Workers who are reliable and hardworking.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 34%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 34%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 34%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 32%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 32%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 30%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 30%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 30%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 29%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 29%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 27%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 25%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 25%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 25%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 23%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 21%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 21%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 20%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 18%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 16%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 44%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 43%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 39%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 38%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 34%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 31%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 31%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 30%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 29%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 26%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 26%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 24%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 21%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 20%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 20%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 20%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 18%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 16%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 16%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 15%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 50%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 46%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 43%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 43%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 41%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 39%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 38%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 38%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • 36%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 36%

    Wrist-finger speed

    Make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.

  • 34%

    Response orientation

    Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).

  • 32%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 32%

    Stamina

    Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.

  • 30%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 30%

    Hearing sensitivity

    Tell the difference between sounds.

  • 30%

    Speed of limb movement

    Quickly move the arms and legs.

  • 29%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 27%

    Dynamic strength

    Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 73%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 51%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 46%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 45%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 42%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 42%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 36%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 36%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 33%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 33%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 33%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 31%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 28%

    Working with mechanical equipment

    Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.

  • 27%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 26%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 24%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 23%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 22%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 18%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 17%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 76%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 33%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 52%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 24%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 24%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 21%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 19%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 99%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 89%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 88%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 88%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 88%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 77%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 77%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 76%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 75%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 73%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 71%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

  • 69%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 67%

    Bending or twisting your body

    Spend time bending or twisting your body.

  • 63%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 63%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

  • 60%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 60%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 54%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 53%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-6021.00 - Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials.


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